Citadel
The Citadel is the seat of power for the Decimators, and the site of their annual Convention. Located in the ruins of the pre-war town of Zumbro Falls, the Citadel is actually a relic of a prior failed attempt at building a raider empire in the Minnesota region. History After consolidating his so-called Empire of Blood in 2143, the Raider Warlord known as Balthus Bloodstorm demanded the construction of a “palace worthy of an emperor”. Employing an army of slaves, his followers began construction of a fortress in the ruins of Zumbro Falls which he had claimed as his seat of power. The workers extensively repurposed stone and masonry from the ruined structures of the town to build the structure, often working in brutal and unforgiving conditions under harsh taskmasters. The structure was completed in November 2143, just in time for the onset of winter. Bloodstorm took up residence in his newfound palace, but did not stay there very long. He fell ill in December of 2145, and spent the next month swimming in and out of consciousness before finally dying in January of 2146. His death with no clear successor set off a series of events that resulted in the fragmentation of his new empire and its collapse into petty raider bands. With nobody left to claim it, the palace was abandoned. While it would be a temporary home to travelers seeking shelter over the next six decades, it wasn’t until Dexter Malek ‘rediscovered’ the citadel in 2198 that it would see a rebirth of sorts. Malek retreated into the empty building where he used it as his shelter while he devised the underlying philosophies of what would become the Decimators. Emerging in the spring of 2199, he set forth to begin the construction of his own raider empire. Malek lead his followers back to the citadel in 2203, using it as the venue in which he ‘inducted’ them into the ‘mythology’ of the ancient Decimator warrior-kings. He claimed that the site was an ancient one, steeped in the histories of empires past, and would serve as their central meeting point. (His claim was unquestioned, given that Bloodfist’s empire had fallen into such obscurity as to be nearly forgotten). It would be on this site that the Decimators would conduct their rituals and ensure the continuity of their empire. The Citadel (as it was now known) would serve as the site of their annual convention, as well as the seat of power for the Decimaxx warband. When Malek died in 2245, he was buried within the citadel (In what was originally Bloodfist’s tomb), helping to cement the mythology of the location. However, its prestige would suffer a severe blow after the destruction of the Decimaxx warband in 2249. As the now leaderless warbands began to fragment, the permanent population of the Citadel dwindled. Outside of the annual convention, few remained there. The renewal of the Decimators in the 2270s also bought a new life to the Citadel. Under the rules laid down at the 2269 Convention, the ‘Prime’ Warband would also maintain a presence at the citadel, in order to ensure the continuity of their power. Since then, the Citadel has been somewhat renovated and restored, while its grounds have been the sites of constant activity. Description The Citadel is a squad, cylindrical tower that rises above the ruins of Zumbro Falls. The structure itself is rather crude in many ways, having been built from materials reclaimed from the town itself. It is primarily made of stone, with wooden floors and interiors. The top of the citadel is open, but covered in a canopy supported by wooden struts. As originally envisioned by Bloodfist, the top of the Citadel would serve as his throne room and meeting hall where he would plan strategy with his lieutenants. The citadel also included an extensive banquet hall, as well as luxurious quarters for Bloodfist and his slave-husbands. In addition, it was equipped with an armoury and extensive stores so that it could be used as a fortress as needs be. Finally, it the lowest level of the Citadel contained his tomb, with Bloodfist intending himself to be buried there. (While he was briefly interred, his body was stolen and lost during the infighting that followed his death) Decades of abandonment saw much of this decay with the interiors becoming little more than a choked mess of debris. After he ‘reclaimed’ the Citadel, Decimaxx initially only used the former throne room as his meeting area. However, as the Decimators grew, more of the interior was reclaimed. The former expansive chambers and banquet hall were turned into quarters for Decimaxx and the ranking members of his warband, sacrificing their excessive size for greater capacity. Outside of the citadel, very little remains of Zumbro Falls. The ruined structures were cannibalized to provide materials for the Citadel, and more recently, the remaining ruined buildings have been cleared. During the Convention season, the area fills up with tents and other temporary accommodations as the population swells with Decimators. Several other permanent structures exist around the citadel in the form of watchtowers and housing. Population Under the current agreement, the Citadel is always home to a detachment of troops from the current Prime warband. While it is not compulsory for the Prime warcheif to live there, in the last few years, Vexar (III) has made the citadel his home when not campaigning. Some have seen this as a move by him to install himself as a permanent leader, but he has made no overt moves to do such so far. This permanent population is supported by their slaves who do much of the menial work of ensuring the day to day function of the facility. During Warband Exaxes term as prime, they bought their own robots to support them, but these were withdrawn after the end of their term. During the convention season, the population swells as the leaders of the surviving warbands and their retinues convene on the citadel. The areas outside the Citadel often become the site of temporary markets as the members of the warbands meet and exchange goods, slaves, and information. Category:Communities Category:Places Category:Raiders